One-Dimensional Na3V2(PO4)3/C Nanowires as Cathode Materials for Long-Life and High Rate Na-Ion Batteries

The material Na3V2(PO4)(3) (denoted as NVP) has attracted ubiquitous attention as a promising cathode material for sodium ion batteries (NIBs) because it has a fast Na+ transportable NASICON framework. However, the major challenge for the wide application of NVP in NIBs is the poor intrinsic electric conductivity that results in poor electrochemical performance. In this work, nanosized electrochemically active carbon-coated NVP nanoparticles embedded in 1D porous carbon nanowires (NVP@C-CNW) were designed and fabricated to improve the intrinsic electric conductivity. The 1D carbon nanowires easily percolate and enable fast electron/ion transport to the NVP particles, while also accommodating the volume variation during Na ion insertion and extraction. In addition, the porous structure facilitates easy electrolyte access, leading to improved fast charge performance. The NVP@ C-CNW exhibits superior rate performance (62.2 mA h g(-1) at 60C) and an ultralong cycle life (96.6 mA h g(-1) after 1000 cycles at 1C), indicating its great potential for application as the cathode material in high-performance NIBs.